Skills in The Wheel of Time

Skills in The Wheel of Time are ranked with a value from 1 to 5. Each rank gives the player an extra die to roll when making a skill test. As even an unskilled character can roll 1 die, this gives skilled characters 2 to 6 dice to roll. Initially, each character receives 20 points, plus one open-ended Intelligence roll. In addition, any points left of the character's original 60, as well as points gained by taking disadvantages, can be used to purchase skills. Each rank costs that number of points. For example, a rank 3 skill costs 3 points. Certain skills have a number in parentheses after the name; this is a multiplier for the cost of each rank. Characters cannot begin with any skill higher than rank 3.

There are several different types of skills. They are grouped in categories for convenience. It is also possible to use a skill with another attribute than is suggested; for example, a warrior might be able to use his sword skill with Perception rather than Deftness if he were trying to gauge an opponent's skill.

Many skills have specialties listed under them. In this case, the specialty is treated as a separate skill, except that the specialty can never be higher ranked than the base skill. So, if a character wants to raise their rank in Ajah Lore (a specialty of Aes Sedai Lore) to rank 4, their Aes Sedai Lore skill must be rank 4 or 5. It is also possible to take a concentration in a skill. In this case, the character has more knowledge in, say, Red Ajah Lore, but less in the other Ajahs. The primary difference this brings is in the knowledge the GM allows access to.

Artisan and Craftsmen Skills

• Blacksmithing - The skill of making metal items.
  • Weaponsmithing - The skill required for manufacturing metal weapons.
  • Armorer - The skill used in making and repairing metal armor.
• Bowyer/ Fletcher - The skill required for the manufacture of bows, crossbows, arrows, and bolts.
• Carpentry - This skill is used for common wooden constructions.
• Cooking - Although anyone can prepare simple meals, this skill allows the character to make truly pleasing foods.
• Engineering - This skill is used to construct seige weapons, defenses, bridges, etc. Other skills, such as carpentry, may be required to do the actual construction.
• Illumination(2) - A closely guarded secret, this skill is only available to characters who are Illuminators. It allows the manufacture of fireworks.
• Leatherworking - The skill of preparing hides and then shaping the resulting leather into useful items.
• Weaving - This skill is used for the manufacture of cloth articles. This also covers preparing the cloth, including dyeing.

Civic and Common Skills

• Climbing - A necessary skill for mountaineers and second-story men, Climbing uses Quickness for its rolls. The target number of the climbs is based upon the difficulty of the surface. For example, most trees will be a 3, while a smooth stone wall may be a 9. Proper tools can give bonuses to the roll. For long climbs (25 feet plus), the GM may require multiple rolls. Climbing can replace Dodge in precarious situations.
• Dancing - This skill is the knowledge of both common and courtly dances, and is commonly known by courtiers, entertainers, and courtesans.
• Disguise - The art of appearing as someone other than yourself. Merely changing your looks is easier than appearing as someone of different height, weight, sex, or age. Appearing as a specific person is the most difficult. This skill is based on Presence.
• Etiquette - The skill of speaking courteously and properly to nobles, as well as the understanding of precedence and diplomatic forms. Taking this skill gives equal ranks in two nations or areas. Each specialization taken covers another two. Only those listed below have cost multipliers, and these must be taken individually.
  • Aiel Clans(2) - Even those who trade with the Aiel have trouble understanding their interrelationships.
  • Sea Folk - The Athan'Miere, while less foreign than the Aiel, still baffle most on the mainland.
• Forgery - This skill allows the faking of writing hand, as well as forgery of embossed marks, seals, and inks.
• Gaming - This skill covers most common games, and the character can easily pick up those he is not familiar with. It also allows players to understand the odds in the game, and can be used to cheat. Common games include stones(board), chop(cards), crowns, fives, and maiden's ruin(all dice).
• Healing - The skill used by most people (who do not have access to Aes Sedai) to heal wounds and disease, this involves many practices of folk wisdom and herbalism. Plant lore can be used with this skill to prepare poultices and infusions. See Damage for more information on the uses of Healing.
• Interrogation - Based on Presence, this is the skill of extracting information from a subject. The subject rolls Will to generate a target for this skill.
  • Torture - The skill of using physical and psychological pain to encourage a subject to more readily volunteer information. The torturer can add their rank in Torture to their Interrogation rolls; however, that Interrogation total is subtracted from the subject's Fortitude, so that too effective torture will cause unconciousness. Any negative Fortitude causes loss of Body.
• Intimidation - An important skill, this is the art of overawing another. It can be used in either of two ways. First, it can be used as an action of its own; roll Intimidation using Presence against the target's roll of either Focus or Intimidation. If the roll succeeds, the target receives a -1 to all rolls against the Intimidating character for the remainder of this encounter. A failure indicates that the action was wasted, while a botch reverses the result. Intimidation can also be used as part of another skill use, such as Interrogation. In this case, the target must beat both the Intimidation and the other skill's roll with the same resist roll, or the other skill is successful.
• Jumping - This skill is used for both long and high jumping. It uses Quickness. For a running long jump, roll this skill for the total distance (in feet) the character can jump.
• Legerdemain - The skill of sleight-of-hand and pickpocketing, Legerdemain allows characters to attempt extremely fine movements. Although a difficulty number will be assigned for the task, victims can roll a Perception check against your Legerdemain total to detect you.
• Lockpicking - This skill is used to open locks or manipulate other mechanical devices of similar complexity. It is based upon Deftness. The target number is based upon the quality and type of the lock.
• Musicianship - The skill of playing musical instruments, each rank in this skill allows the character to know one instrument. Based on Intelligence.
• Oratory - The skill of speaking to a crowd. Unlike Perform, this skill is not generally used to make money or entertain, but rather to sway emotions or views.
• Perform - The essential skill of gleemen and bards, this is the skill of tale-telling and poetry. Unlike Musicianship, this skill covers the ability to interact with and play off of an audience. Based on Presence.
  • Chant - There are two types of chant, High and Low, which are the more impressive voices for song and story. Know your audience before deciding which to use, although High is more technically difficult.
• Persuasion - The skill used to sway another person's opinion to agree with yours. This skill is based on Presence.
• Riding - The skill of controlling a mount, based on Quickness.
  • Trick Riding - More than the ability to show off on a mount, this skill greatly improves a horseman's ability in combat. The rank in Trick Riding is added to the Riding rank when making Riding checks. In addition, the Trick Riding rank is added directly to rolls for Lancing, and one-half the rank is added to rolls for all other weapons used from horseback.
• Running - The skill of long distance running and marching. It is based on Endurance. Running rolls are made to extend the length of time a person can continue moving at a faster than normal speed. See Game System for more information.
• Sailing - The skill of operating vessels which are moved by wind power. Although larger vessels cannot be operated alone, this skill can be used to give direction to a crew.
• Seduction - The art of using sexual allure to sway members of the opposite sex. Although seduction can be used to tempt someone into providing sexual favors, it can also be used to obtain better prices, services, or information. Generally, a seduction roll will be made against a Will total. Seduction is based on Presence. Seduction can be used with Persuasion or Interrogation; in this case, the target must defeat both skill rolls with a single Will roll.
• Sprinting - The skill of rapid movement. While all characters can increase their movement rate, this skill determines how much speed is added, as well as the duration of the sprint. See Game System for more information.
• Stealth - The skill of moving without being noticed. This involves both silent movement and the ability to avoid being seen. Normally, a total is generated that Perception rolls will be made against.
• Swimming - A self explanatory skill. Swimming checks are made to move about in the water; Swimming also replaces Dodge for any combat in the water.
• Tracking - This is the skill used for following animals or people by the signs they leave of their passage. The GM will assign a target number; many factors can modify this, such as the time since the track was made, the weather, the number being tracked, etc. Tracking can also be used to attempt to hide a trail; in this case, roll to generate the target number that any followers will need to beat.

Lore and Knowledge Skills

• Aes Sedai Lore(2) - Knowledge of the Aes Sedai and the White Tower.
  • Ajah Lore - Lore of the 7 Ajahs, their philosophies and aims. Each Ajah is a concentration.
  • Pre-Breaking Lore(2) - Lore of the Aes Sedai prior to the Breaking of the World.
  • Power Lore - Knowledge of the One Power, theories on it and channeling.
  • Tower Law - Knowledge of Tower law, custom, and precedent.
• Animal Lore - Knowledge of the animal inhabitants of one area, generally the character's homeland. Each additional area is a specialization. Only those listed below have a cost multiplier.
  • Fauna of the Aiel Waste(2) - Few wetlanders have any experience in the Waste.
  • Fauna of the Blight(2) - Many of the inhabitants of the Blight are Shadowspawn; this Lore only covers natural animals, not constructs. This includes sticks, and also worms (the current Age does not consider them constructs).
• Heraldry - The knowledge of heraldric devices. The character will be most familiar with nobles of their home area; each country removed reduces their skill by 1 die. Large geographical separators, such as the Mountains of Mist, act as a country for this purpose.
• Historical Lore - The history of one nation or people. Additional modern nations are specialties.
  • Age of Legends Lore(2) - Little is known of the Age of Legends other than myth.
  • Hawkwing's Reign - The history of the High King.
  • The Trolloc Wars - The history of the Trolloc Wars and the Covenant of Ten Nations.
  • Tar Valon Lore - Unlike Aes Sedai Lore, this skill represents knowledge of the "official" history of the White Tower and Tar Valon.
• Plant Lore - Knowledge of plants common to one nation/ geographical area, generally the character's home. This skill can be used to prepare poultices and herbal remedies (see healing). Each new area is a specialization. Only the ones listed below have a cost multiplier.
  • Flora of the Blight(3) - Blight flora cannot be used to make healing poultices, although it can be used for poisons.
  • Flora of the Aiel Waste(2) - The Aiel use plants for many purposes, but this knowledge is very rare among non-Aiel.
• Shadow Lore(2) - Knowledge of the Shadow and its creatures. This Lore is dangerous; many consider those who have too much knowledge of the Shadow to be Darkfriends. Of the Shadowspawn, only Trollocs and Myrddraal are covered by this general Lore.
  • Forsaken Lore(2) - Little is known of the Forsaken in modern times, but this Lore covers all that can be known without them being freed.
  • Shadowspawn Lore - More information about Shadowspawn, including Dark Hounds, Draghkar, Gray Men, and possibly others.

Martial and Weapon Skills

• Archery - The skill of using bow or crossbow, the basic skill allows a character to attack with the weapon.
  • Mounted Archery - The skill necessary to effectively use a bow from a moving horse. This skill cannot be higher than the character's skill in riding. Roll this skill rather than Archery for attacks; the character suffers a -1 penalty for a mount moving at a canter, and a -2 for attacks at a gallop.
  • Snapshot - A skill useable only with bows, the character can attempt to fire more rapidly than most archers. Normally, nocking an arrow requires use of a free action. A character with this skill can make a roll against a target number equal to the die type of the damage for the bow they are using; if successful, the character can use their free action as if it were a main action, provided they are using it for a bow shot. Thus, the character will be able to make two bow attacks in rapid succession. Each shot receives a -1 penalty. A failure causes the character to automatically miss with both shots. A botch means that the character has broken the bow string.
  • Rapid Load - A skill useable with crossbows, this gives characters a chance to use their crossbows once each round. As with Snapshot, the character rolls their Rapid Load against the die type for the damage of the crossbow they are using. Success indicates that the character can spend a free action to reload their crossbow this round, so they can reload and fire in the same round. This skill reduces the reload time on an arbalest to 1 round. Failure indicates that they have wasted this round - the crossbow was not even reloaded. A botch indicates damage to the weapon.
  • Vital Strike - By spending 1 full round aiming, the character can attempt to hit a vital organ, causing great damage. After spending the round, the character makes a normal attack roll. If he hits the target, he can roll this skill against the same target number plus two. If this is also successful, the target suffers double the rolled damage. If the second roll fails, the attack still inflicts normal damage. A botch, however, causes the attack to miss.
• Axe Wielding - The skill of using axes and similar weapons in combat. Hand axes and hatchets receive a penalty if they are used to Parry (-2).
  • Axe Throwing - Smaller axes can be thrown. In this case, use Axe Throwing for the attack rather than Axe Wielding.
  • Horns of Steel - Axes can inflict terrible wounds if the wielder is willing to forego his own defense. By voluntarily dropping his target number to be hit to 3 for the entire round and then making a successful attack roll using Horns of Steel (rather than Axe Wielding), he inflicts extra damage equal to his rank in Horns of Steel. A botch causes the character to be so off balance that his TN to be hit is 3 next round as well (although he can actively Dodge or Parry as normal).
• Dodge - The most basic combat skill, Dodge allows characters to avoid attacks. All characters are considered to always be using their Dodge (unless restrained, unconcious, etc.); therefore, to determine a character's target number to be hit, add their Dodge rank to 3. Characters who wish to make themselves harder to hit can roll their Dodge, adding the result to 3; Parry (with a weapon) works similarly, but some weapons are better to Parry with than others. Dodge uses Quickness.
• Focus - A skill of mental concentration. Focus is a martial skill because of its effect on damage (see Damage). Focus also allows characters to spend an action and make a check against a target of 5 to receive a +2 on their next action. For every 5 points the check is made by, an additional, consecutive action receives the same bonus. A botch costs the character their next action.
  • Mind Over Body - A slightly different trick of concentration, this skill allows a character to ignore minor discomforts and to control certain bodily functions, such as sweating. With a successful check, the character can ignore penalties caused by discomfort. For example, ignoring thirst requires a roll of 9+. This skill is associated with the One Power due to Aes Sedai using it to control sweating.
  • The Void - The supreme distancing of oneself from pain, this skill allows the character to make a check to ignore current damage for the next round. The character's can choose to ignore either Body or Fortitude losses, or both. The target number is equal to the number of points lost. For every 5 the character succeeds by, the effect lasts for 1 additional round. During this time, the character suffers no effects from the lost Trait points; he will not even die during this time if the damage exceeds his Body. A botch means that the character cannot attempt this power again the next round.
• Knife-fighting - The skill of fighting with knives and other small bladed weapons. Due to their size, knives are not very effective for parrying, so Parry rolls with knives receive a -2.
  • Knife Throwing - Knives can be thrown, in which case roll this skill rather than knife-fighting.
  • Quick Strike - Useable with either Knife-Fighting or Knife Throwing, this is simply the ability to attack twice or more in a round with knives. Roll this skill against a target of 6 for 1 extra attack; add 5 to the target number for each additional attack. The number must be declared prior to the roll; failure causes the action to be wasted. A botch drops the character's defense to a 3 for the rest of this round.
• Lancing - The skill of using a lance from a mounted position. Lances do extra damage equal to a roll of the mount's Strength when used mounted, provided the mount is moving at a gallop. Lancing cannot be higher than the character's Riding skill.
  • Precision Targeting - A lancer can attempt to have his lance impact very precisely to achieve certain effects. The lancer rolls this skill rather than Lancing to achieve one of the following: unseat (opponent takes half damage and is removed from his mount), vital hit (opponent takes normal damage plus loses Fortitude equal to half damage), stunning hit (opponent takes half damage and loses Fortitude equal to the rolled damage).
• Leadership - The skill of command. Normally based on Presence, this skill allows the character to effectively command large numbers of troops. Each rank in this skill allows the character to directly control 100 soldiers.Beyond this, underofficers are required to extend the chain of command. A subordinate should have a lower Leadership to prevent conflict, but other factors sometime motivate the assignation of command.
• Mace Fighting - Used for most blunt weapons, such as clubs and batons, this skill allows both attack and defense with such weapons.
  • Stunning Blow - A character can roll this instead of Mace Fighting when making an attack. A successful hit does equal damage to Body and Fortitude.
  • Knock-Out Attack - This skill can be used to attempt to knock someone out while causing little other harm. On a successful roll, the character does the rolled damage +2 to Fortitude, and only half the rolled damage to Body.
• Two Weapon Combat(2) - Many warriors use a shield or small weapon in their off hand during combat. If a character chooses this, they can have an action with that hand as well. That weapon or shield uses either this skill or the weapon skill, whichever is lower (shields always use Two Weapon Combat). The weapon or shield can be used to Parry or Attack (only Body Shields can be used effectively as weapons). The primary hand receives a -1 to its rolls; the off-hand receives a -3. A botch with either hand ruins both actions. A shield parry works in the same manner as a weapon parry. Note that shields still give their defense bonus even if not being used to actively parry. To be used as an off-hand weapon, the weapon's description must state "can be used off-hand".
• Spear Fighting - As the Aiel prove, a spear can be a fearsome weapon. Smaller spears and javelins can be thrown. Larger spears can be used in a manner similar to pikes against charges.
  • Armor Penetration - A spear hits a relatively small area of the body. By ignoring easier openings, the spear fighter can exploit a weakness in the opponent's defense. To use this skill, the character gives up his action for 1 round (passive defense only) to study his opponent. The next round, he first rolls this skill against the combined defense/ damage values for his opponent's armor. If he rolls equal to or higher than this number, he can then make an attack roll that completely ignores armor for all purposes. If he fails in his Armor Penetration roll, he can choose to attack as normal or to re-study to use this skill again next round.
  • Spear Throwing - Use this skill to throw spears.
• Staff Fighting - A quarterstaff can be the most effective weapon, in the right hands. Quarterstaves give a +1 when used to parry.
  • Spinning Wall - By rapidly spinning and shifting the staff, the character can effectively parry and attack in the same round. Use this skill rather than staff fighting for both rolls; a botch on either causes both to fail (i.e. the attack misses, and the character's defense is a 3). The staff does not provide a parry bonus in this case.
  • Stunning Blow - By jabbing the end of the staff into chest, throat, or groin, the character causes damage and stunning pain. Make an attack roll using this skill; if successful, the target loses both Body and Fortitude equal to the rolled damage. If the character botches, the staff has been knocked from their hands.
• Swordsmanship - The use of swords in combat. Swordplay has achieved a level of sport, as well as a fighting skill, and many techniques have been developed that stress beauty and style as well as effectiveness. As with most melee weapon skills, the basic skill includes both attacking and parrying.
  • Beat Attack - Useable against an enemy who is parrying, a Beat Attack allows the character to reduce that Parry total. The attacker first rolls their Beat Attack against a 3. If successful, the defender's TN to be hit is lowered by 1, and by another point for every 3 points over (so a 9 would reduce the defense by 3). The attacker then makes a Swordsmanship roll against the new defense. A botch on the Beat Attack means that no attack is possible, and your defense is reduced by 3 for the remainder of the round. A failure simply uses the attacker's action for this round.
  • Riposte - If a sword is used to parry, it is sometimes possible to strike back at the attacker. The character must be using their action to Parry; if the attack misses, the character can roll Riposte; if they beat their opponent's attack roll, they can then roll to attack in return (using Swordsmanship). A botch prevents parrying for the rest of the round, or in the next round. A character can only Riposte once in a round.
  • Blademastery(2) - See Blademastery for information.
• Unarmed Combat - Fighting without weapons is common enough, although most of the known world does not consider it an art, as they might Swordsmanship. The basic skill here is essentially pugilism, but there are several specialties involving more complex martial arts. Unarmed combat is treated much as any other combat skill. Damage is one half of a Strength die, with that roll being divided in half: 1 part is Body damage, the other is Fortitude damage. If it does not split evenly, the odd point comes off of Fortitude.

Power Skills
Note: these skills require a Power-User Advantage.

• Learn Weave - The skill of learning ways to weave the One Power. Males can only learn from other males, females from females. Channelers can roll this skill a number of times in one day equal to their rank in Learn Weave. The target number is equal to the total Threads plus the minimum Effect Dice for the Weave. This skill is based upon Intelligence. A botch indicates that the particular Weave cannot be learned until this skill is increased at least 1 point.
• Sense Ability - For women only, this skill is what a channeler uses to attempt to discern if other women have the potential to touch the True Source. Based upon Perception, the target number for someone with the Potential Power User advantage within 2 paces is a 5. A blocked Power User at the same range is a 4; an unblocked Power User is a 3. Each additional pace adds 1; not being able to see the person adds 3. Women cannot detect such potential in men.
• Sense Channeling - This skill enables a channeler to sense other people channeling at a distance. Women can only sense women, men can only sense men. Base range for 1 thread, 1 Effect Die is 6 paces. Each additional thread or die adds 2 paces.
• Thread Weaving(2) - The basic skill for manipulating flows of the One Power. Thread Weaving is based upon Intelligence, although the effect of the Weave is often based upon some other Attribute.
  • Tie Weaves(2) - This skill is used to tie Weaves off so that they do not have to be maintained round after round. Many types of Weaves cannot be tied off, such as most of those used in combat. Each channeler can only have as many tied weaves in existence as their rank in this skill. To tie a Weave, the channeler spends an action to use this skill, as well as one additional thread, and rolls this skill against the Weaving Difficulty. Success indicates the Weave is tied and will remain; failure simply means it was not tied. A botch causes the Weave to collapse. Weaves fail over time; generally, Weaves with more Threads last longer.